A Historic Gathering by the Wolastoq River On May 8, 2024, as the waters of the Wolastoq River flowed gently past Ekpahak (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada), a significant milestone in Indigenous evaluation was achieved. In conjunction with the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) Conference 2024, a diverse group of global Indigenous evaluators and allies gathered to craft the Wolastoq Declaration on Indigenous Evaluation. This living document is a collective commitment to honouring Indigenous rights, protecting knowledge sovereignty, and mobilizing traditional paradigms in evaluation. The Declaration was developed through dialogue, ceremony, and reflection, deeply rooted in the cultural significance of place and the relationships formed during the Indigenous Evaluation Gathering. Honouring the Land and the River The Wolastoq River—meaning “the beautiful and bountiful river” in the Maliseet language—has sustained the Wolastoqiyik (People of the Beautiful River) for generations. This sacred waterway, central to their identity and survival, served as the spiritual and physical grounding for the gathering. Participants honoured the river and the land and their stewards, acknowledging the Wabanaki Confederacy and the deep histories embedded in the territory. The Indigenous Evaluation Gathering before the CES Conference was more than an academic event—it was an embodied experience of Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Participants engaged in discussions about self-determination in evaluation, the need to decolonize methodologies, and the importance of ethical and culturally responsive approaches. Following these immersive experiences, a final debriefing session was held after the CES Conference. Here, reflections were gathered, and the seeds of the Wolastoq Declaration were planted. The Wolastoq Declaration: A Commitment to Indigenous EvaluationThe Wolastoq Declaration on Indigenous Evaluation is not just a statement of principles—it is a call to action. It affirms that evaluation should serve Indigenous Peoples on their own terms, grounded in their knowledge systems, worldviews, and values. The Declaration is a powerful tool for:
The Wolastoq Declaration is a living document, designed to evolve through continued collaboration among Indigenous peoples and allies. It invites all those committed to ethical, meaningful, and culturally responsive Indigenous evaluation to join in its implementation. As we move forward, the question remains: How can we, as evaluators, policymakers, and community members, ensure that Indigenous voices are not just included, but centred in evaluation? The journey does not end here. It continues on the land, by the rivers, in the ceremonies, and through the relationships we nurture. Let us honour. Let us protect. Let us mobilize.
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Bhuban B Bajracharya, Chairman, Nepal Evaluation SocietyMeeting with Uru Warige Wannila Aththo, Community Leader, Dambana Indigenous Community Each of the EvalIndigenous Team members was welcomed in turn. Holding hands together with the community leader in their traditional style, each of the EvalIndigenous team member self-introduced to him. While talking to the Nepal members, he told that he met people from Tamang community while visiting Nepal. Randhika and Chamathkara explained to him about the EvalIndigenous Team, Academic Symposium on M&E Education, APEA and its activities, and about the importance of EvalIndigenous world-wide. Along with Fiona, they presented him a copy of the APEA Toolkit on Indigenous evaluation.. Uru Warige Wannila Aththo briefly introduced his community having hunting and harvesting jungle products as their main livelihood activities. He highlighted some of the challenges the community is facing at the moment - major ones related to the restriction rules of the Ministry of Environment and Wildlife affecting their livelihood activities. They do not have land rights also. Non-compliance to these rules can often take them for some legal actions also. He asked if EvalIndigenous and APEA could do anything in these matters. Thanking him for his welcome remarks, Fiona, Co-Chair of EvalIndigenous, responded to him on what the EvalIndigenous and APEA could do. She explained that negotiation with the Government is quite important and key to solve the problems. For the negotiation process, consulting also with the UNESCO, EvalIndigenous and APEA can help in producing required documents based on various UN resolutions. Such a negotiation process with well thought out documents, the community can reach to the agreement with the Government. He was not so hopeful about the talks with the Government. They have taken this issue to the Geneva Convention which in turn corresponded with the Sri Lankan Government to address to their issues and helping them continue with the age-old traditional practices. The Government has not responded to it so far. The meeting has been very much helpful in understanding the difficulties that the indigenous communities are facing and are likely to face even more in future due to the conflict between their traditional practices / lifestyles and the government policies. Who need to change or who would have to change is the question, and in the process, the risk of eroding of the cultural identity would be looming large. After the meeting, some of the community members demonstrated some of their routine and cultural practices. Some of them are:
Members of the EvalIndigenous Team
Related posts: Part 1. About the Community John T. Njovu's post about the Academic Symposium and visiting the Dambana Village AuthorBhuban B Bajracharya, Chairman, Nepal Evaluation Society Bhuban B Bajracharya, Chairman, Nepal Evaluation SocietyWhen the Academic Symposium on M&E Education in Colombo, Sri Lanka, concluded on December 04, 2024, some of the participants from the EvalIndigenous team travelled to visit the Dambana Indigenous Village. On the way, we passed through Kandy and paid a visit to the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth). We then reached the Mapakada village of Mahiyangana in the evening of December 05, 2024. The following day, on 6 December, we went to the Dambana Indigenous Village, which is located within a protected forest. There, the we had a meeting with Uru Warige Wannila Aththo, Indigenous Community Leader. About the Community The Dambana indigenous community, also known as the Vedda community, is one of the oldest indigenous groups in Sri Lanka. They have a rich history and unique traditions, but they face several challenges today. Here are some of the salient features of their livelihoods and cultural identity: Population Size and Its Trend
Cultural Identity
Current Status The Vedda people of Dambana are in the process of modernization, which has led to a loss of their traditional identity. Many have integrated into neighboring Sinhala or Tamil communities. The younger generation is particularly influenced by modern media and technology, leading to a shift away from traditional practices. The community has access to media, including a community radio station called Dambana Radio, although it is not fully operational and does not fully meet their needs. Government Initiatives Efforts have been made by both the Sri Lankan government and non-governmental organizations to support the preservation of Vedda culture and improve the livelihoods of community members. These efforts include land rights initiatives, cultural education programs, and sustainable development projects. However, the community still faces significant challenges, including loss of traditional lands and socioeconomic marginalization. The Vedda leaders have sometimes rejected government sponsorship for cultural events, preferring that funds be used for community development projects and education. The government has expressed willingness to reallocate funds for these purposes, but the implementation of such initiatives has been inconsistent. The Vedda community continues to struggle with maintaining their cultural identity while adapting to modern influences. The preservation of their language, traditions, and way of life remains a critical concern for both the community and those working to support them. The regulations of the Ministry of Environment and Wildlife in Sri Lanka, while aimed at conservation, have posed significant challenges to the traditional livelihoods of the Dambana indigenous community. Here are some key ways these regulations impact them:
Impact on Cultural Identity The enforcement of these regulations can erode the cultural identity of the Vedda people. As they are forced to abandon traditional practices, there is a risk of losing their unique cultural heritage and knowledge passed down through generations. While the intention behind these regulations is to protect the environment and wildlife, it is crucial to find a balance that also respects and preserves the rights and traditions of indigenous communities like the Vedda. Efforts to involve these communities in conservation planning and decision-making can help create more sustainable and inclusive solutions. Also see: Part 2. Visiting the community Blog by John Njovu, about the Academic Symposium and visiting the community Miriam Dominick Mkombozi, Dar es Salaam University College of Education (DUCE), TanzaniaIntroduction Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) form the backbone of effective development initiatives, providing the tools to measure, understand, and enhance the impact of interventions. As a young and emerging evaluator, I embarked on an incredible journey highlighting the transformative power of education, mentorship, and hands-on experience. My participation in the 5th Asian Pacific Winter School for Young and Emerging Evaluators and the Academic Symposium on M&E Education held from 30 November to 04 December 2024 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, was not just an event—it was a pivotal chapter in my career growth, empowering me with new knowledge and perspectives. The Start of an Enriching Adventure When my supervisor informed me about the Winter School, I immediately saw it as a golden opportunity to gain practical insights into monitoring and evaluation. After meticulous preparation and application, I was selected to attend. Soon after, I was also invited to the Academic Symposium as a panelist, an honor that amplified excitement and challenges, particularly financial ones. With resilience and the collaborative support from EvalYouth Asia, EvalIndigenous, African Evaluation Association (AfrEA), and my supervisor's contributions, I could attend both events. These experiences underscored the value of perseverance and community support in professional development, fostering a deep sense of belonging and shared purpose among us, the young and emerging evaluators. Key Learnings from the Winter School The two-day Winter School, organized by EvalYouth Asia, was a masterclass in M&E principles and practices. One standout session was on the Theory of Change, led by Soma De Silva. The participatory activities and discussions deepened my ability to connect program activities to desired outcomes, emphasizing the power of evidence-based approaches. Another enlightening session was on the Fundamentals of Evaluation Design by Ziad Moussa, who described evaluators as “cloud breakers”—those who clarify the often-obscured link between interventions and impacts. This metaphor vividly illustrates the evaluator's role in guiding meaningful change. Equally impactful was the session on Indigenous Evaluation by Dr. Fiona Cram and Serge Eric Yakeu. They urged evaluators to move beyond colonial frameworks and embrace culturally responsive methodologies. Tools like social mapping and storytelling were emphasized for their ability to empower communities by reflecting on their lived realities, fostering trust, and ensuring inclusivity. These lessons reshaped my understanding of creating evaluations that honor cultural diversity and local knowledge. The "Methodology Mall" session was another highlight, offering hands-on exposure to six diverse methodologies: Outcome Harvesting, Most Significant Change, Success Case Method, Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), Contribution Analysis, and Document Review. Each methodology provides unique insights:
Exploring the Future of M&E Education The Academic Symposium, themed "The Future of Evaluation: The Role of Academic Education in M&E," brought together global experts to explore the evolving landscape of M&E. As a panelist in a roundtable discussion, I shared my journey from a novice to a confident evaluator, shaped by mentorship, volunteering, and education. This session reinforced the importance of standardized M&E curricula and practical training to bridge the gap between theory and fieldwork. We engaged in a crucial conversation about the future of our profession, discussing the need for more inclusive and culturally responsive evaluation practices, the role of technology in M&E, and the importance of continuous learning and mentorship in professional development. One particularly inspiring session centered on culturally responsive evaluation practices. Dr. Fiona Cram’s insights on decolonizing evaluation and embracing Indigenous worldviews resonated deeply with me. Her perspective emphasized how culturally rooted methodologies enhance the relevance of evaluations and empower the communities they serve. This reaffirmed my commitment to inclusive, ethical practices prioritizing stakeholder engagement and respect.
Reflections and Future Aspirations This journey reinforced the transformative potential of continuous learning, mentorship, and collaborative networks. The exposure to advanced methodologies like systems thinking and participatory evaluation has expanded my technical skills and deepened my dedication to creating ethical, inclusive, and impactful evaluations. It is a reminder to all of us in the M&E field of the importance of continuous learning for personal and professional growth. As I look to the future, I am inspired to advocate for standardized M&E education that bridges the gap between academia and practice. By fostering knowledge-sharing, embracing diversity, and championing cultural inclusivity, we can build a more impactful evaluation profession capable of addressing complex global challenges. A Call to Action
I am grateful to the organizations and mentors who made this journey possible. Their unwavering support enabled me to gain insights and experiences that will guide my career for years to come. I urge stakeholders in the M&E field to continue investing in young and emerging evaluators. By creating platforms for growth and collaboration, we can empower the next generation to lead transformative change in global development. I flew into Colombo in Sri Lanka on Sunday 1st December 2024 as an African representative for EvalIndigenous. Colombo that evening was adorned in bright decorative lights depicting Christmas trees, stars of David and reindeers. The music piped out in many places heralded the coming of a saviour. I was as an agent of a network attending a major and first-time Symposium in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) education. It was held in at the Ramada hotel, with the opening graced by the Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and renowned Evaluator, the Hon. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya The guidelines from the event organisers stated that the dress code was to be formal. I was in a flat mood as my suitcase had not accompanied me on my flight to Colombo. An hour's delay departing from Lusaka’s Kenneth Kaunda International Airport on 30th November was probably the reason. I learned from a fellow participant at the symposium that I was supposed to have been sent $200 by the faulty airline to enable me to pay for a set of new clothes. However, neither airline helped with any financial compensation to enable me to quickly buy 'formal attire'. If I was an ostrich, I would have buried my head in the sand for appearing in my t-shirt and sneakers at an official grand occasion. The alternative would have been to wear a bed sheet or tablecloth and loop an end over my shoulder, toga style. I needed sandals and bling-bling of a heavy gold chains and armlets to pass as a royal from a distant land far away across the African Ocean. However, I didn’t have enough cash for this sort of 'form'. I was very apologetic and explained to people that I exchanged greetings with that I had not yet got my suitcase. The suitcase arrived two days later without any apology or financial compensation, but its arrival didn’t lift my melancholy state; I had missed once in a lifetime major photo opportunity. During the session on Indigenous M&E in education (Session#10), Dr Cram moderated in her pyjamas. Her aim was to make a point about not being judgmental as evaluators when we go to premises of Indigenous people. Based on academic, personal and professional experiences we all advocated for inclusion of Indigenous and culturally responsive evaluation practices in the M&E curriculum. Dalada Maligava (“Temple of the Tooth”) After the Symposium, we visited Temple of Tooth Relic in Sri Dalada Maligawa. It is of major spiritual significance to Buddhists as it has a tooth of the revered Buddha and the World Buddhism Museum. The Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama or Shakyamuni, lived in South Asia in the 6th or 5th century BCE. He is the founder of Buddhism, a religious faith followed mainly in many countries of Asia and the Pacific. There were flowers and incense vendors on the ground near the temple and security was visibly tight. We bought a pass into the main Temple, leaving our shoes at the entrance. I was worried about the heat of the concrete encased pathways so I kept my socks on. It is common in many cultures when in a sacred place for people to take off their shoes. Dambana VillageAs Coordinator of the EvalIndigenous Voices and Atlas Projects, I had already been to the Dambana village. My first time in Sri Lanka was from 14th to 20th September 2018, when I attended on the eve of the EvalColombo2018 conference of the Global Parliamentarians Forum for Evaluation (GPFE). I met the King, Honorable Wannila Aththo and the village Coordinator, Mr. Rathnapala, of the Vedda to learn more about their ethnic group and to witness their spiritual ceremony. My guides during that visit also passed on to the King an invitation to the assembly (see picture of that visit on the left below). The members of the team to Dambana during my second visit consisted of myself, Dr Fiona Cram, Bhuban and his wife, Prabin and his wife and son, Brian, young evaluators Randi, Chama of Sri Lanka, and Erika and Naomi of the Philippines, and a crew of two. Seeing the young members of EvalIndigenous in the field very much gladdened my heart. The small spark of decolonising M&E lit during the launch of EvalIndigenous in Bishkek in 2017 had lit flames in hearts of similar thinking indigenous people. Seeing the torch that we brought to Sri Lanka in 2018 being carried by local emerging evaluators gave me great hope that the fight would be sustained. When it was my turn to greet the King, I stretched both my hands and held his lower arms below the elbows in traditional greeting style. “Greetings, your Royal Highness. I bring greetings to your land, yourself and people from my land of Africa and people across the African Ocean. I come here once more as a fellow member of the indigenous peoples across the globe. I am glad to see that our children followed my footsteps from my first visit and have been working closely with you these past years.” The King usually receives a lot of visitors and there were people outside the gazebo waiting to see him. Apart from being a traditional leader, he is also a renowned herbalist. The emerging evaluators of Sri Lanka had embarked on a program of working closely with the people of Dambana. This had resulted in the preparation of a Toolkit to guide evaluators in carrying our indigenous evaluations across Asia and Pacific. The Toolkit was presented to the King by Dr Cram. It was pleasant to witness an occasion of evaluation practitioners going back to the community that they have worked with and presenting their leaders the product of that work. Often, evaluators and researchers do not go back to communities where they have been doing their work. They instead present to donors, technocrats, politicians and government officials in flashy premises away from poor communities. The King reported to the team the challenges of his people. They had been promised by the government to have their traditional rights over their land restored so they would be able to hunt wild animals and collect wild plants. He asked whether there was a way EvalIndigenous could assist his ethnic group to get their government to act and honour its pledges. Dr. Fiona answered that EvalIndigenous could assist by writing to the Members of Parliament and the Prime Minister to urge the government to honour its promises on land protection and hunting rights. The challenges of Dambana over the land ownership and hunting rights are common to most indigenous people. Independent governments have inherited laws from colonisers. They were meant to disadvantage indigenous communities. Naomi narrated that in the Philippines they had overcome such disadvantages by signing agreements between the indigenous communities and the government. Performance by village cultural and drama group In a clearing in the dense forest there was an arena. The village cultural and drama group put up a splendid cultural art performance there for our visiting team. They mesmerised us with their drama of sketches, dances, drumming and songs on their traditions and culture. We even joined in a spiritual dance to their ancestors. Our many thanks to the peoples of the Dambana Village for a wonderful visit with themAlso see related blogs by Bhuban B Bajracharya, Chairman, Nepal Evaluation Society: Part 1. About the community Part 2. Visiting the community
EvalIndigenous was represented by John T. Njovu (Zambia), Dr Dereje Mamo (Ethiopia) and Dr Almas Mazigo (Tanzania). Dr Mazigo (Taboos group) and John T. Njovu (Spirituality group) were invited as Technical Advisors and Dr Dereje Mamo (Spirituality group) as an expert and secretary. It was a very intensive lab. The University plans to use the information gathered to test the tools and design a workshop on Indigenous evaluation. As members of EvalIndigenous, we plan to use what we observed in Botswana to better organise our own workshops and deliberation on decolonising evaluation in our future programs. We noted some challenges that made us realise why we have many management challenges in evaluation bodies. Being good critics (evaluators) may not mean that we can be best artists (operators and administrators). We noted that top-down initiatives and hidden power plays had resulted in pre-determined outcomes in the past in favour of those with financial resources. The local elite and notable people of colour (black peacocks) end up rubber stamping foreign initiatives. They prop up and defend foreign dominance in development. This had laid to the current challenges in development evaluation and increasing calls for decolonisation. Therefore, we hope the Botswana workshop is different and will have positive effects in the decolonisation of evaluation.
As participants from EvalIndigenous focusing on decolonising evaluation for the benefit of indigenous communities, we plan to continue discussing the following:
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